Campari Tomatoes

[Anna N]

39 minutes ago, heidih said:

The ones I posted (w/o mark) state greenhouse hydroponically grown so theoretically maybe even in your region is possible. I think maybe the packaging has become their mark.

All ‘Sunset’ brand products begin in our trial greenhouse where data, research and development is compiled on selected varieties hand selected from around the world,” said Ms. Pickersgill. Our ‘Sunset’ and ‘Sunset’ organic products are grown throughout North America. In the spring and summer months we are able to grow in Canada, but due to climate conditions we have our greenhouses in Mexico grow for us in the winter.”
Click.

Almost all our small tomato varieties are packaged in exactly the same way. 

[heidih]

@Martin Fisher so sir does Tomatovillian™ have input?

 

It is all money making fodder for lawyers as companies fight for market share - in my view. If you are totally bored for reading material, this pleading in a Mastronardi case against a competitor about another tomato TM gives some interesting perspective on what matters.   https://casetext.com/brief/mastronardi-produce-ltd-v-lakeside-produce-inc_motion-for-preliminary-injunction

 

Mastronardi does state that the packaging is a big part of the marketing "There is no one who would mistake our packaging and design for that of Naturesweet" in a lawsuit with another company.  I know that, visually challenged, I reached for that familiar packaging and presentation. And the flavor was as expected - good.

 

ETA: the statements on page 24 about customer confusion I found pretty lame

Edited July 23, 2022 by heidih (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

12 hours ago, rotuts said:

@JoNorvelleWalker 

 

container and tomat

 

pic ?

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

9 hours ago, Anna N said:

All ‘Sunset’ brand products begin in our trial greenhouse where data, research and development is compiled on selected varieties hand selected from around the world,” said Ms. Pickersgill. Our ‘Sunset’ and ‘Sunset’ organic products are grown throughout North America. In the spring and summer months we are able to grow in Canada, but due to climate conditions we have our greenhouses in Mexico grow for us in the winter.”
Click.

Almost all our small tomato varieties are packaged in exactly the same way. 

 

I was unaware Sunset was a Mastronardi brand.  I hate to sound like a shill, but if I can find them, I buy only Sunset tomatoes.  They are consistently good.

 

[DianaB]

Intriguing, have never come across a Campari tomato in England or France.  Has anyone tried growing plants from the seeds?

[Annie_H]

4 hours ago, DianaB said:

 Has anyone tried growing plants from the seeds?

Campari is a hybrid. It will not grow true from seed. As are all of their tomatoes. Much different process than heirloom open-pollinated varieties. I save seeds from all my heirlooms and will get the genetic match every year. Unless a rare bee cross happens.

A hybrid program might look more like a laboratory. They may have a 100 or more crosses before they get one that checks all the boxes for greenhouse growing. The parent tomatoes are a well kept secret. They look for a fast grower, prolific, stores well and travels well, and good flavor. Under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, may not do well outdoors in a garden. You can buy their seed and many hybrids but are always a bit more expensive. 

Some hybrids are created for the home garden like the success story SunGold. It does well in just about every climate around the globe---a climate that can grow tomatoes. Usually the first tomato to ripen and loaded with tiny bursts of summer flavor. Rarely make it out of the garden. Loved for a snack right off the plant. All my tomatoes are from shared/saved seed except for SunGold and a couple other hybrids. 

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Annie_H (log)

[Annie_H]

We all dislike clamshell packaging but things are looking up. Costco is switching to cardboard but not Nationwide yet. (Pic lower right). Top two is Misfits. Glass is wrapped in paper accordion. They cut out the packaging middleman and get produce straight from farms. No bags. Loose in the box. 85-90%. I've not come across bubble wrap in years except for the big puffy Amazon box fillers. 

An order last week from FreshDirect did have some clamshells but the gorgonzola came in a box with cheese wrapped in some sort of wax paper. No plastic. Much better for the storage of cheeses anyway. 

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Annie_H (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, DianaB said:

Intriguing, have never come across a Campari tomato in England or France.  Has anyone tried growing plants from the seeds?

 

I used to before I had to stop my garden.  The variety is Mountain Magic.  How I miss them.  This time of year my counters were covered with little tomatoes and little fruit flies.  Not sure if you can find them in England.  (The seeds, not the fruit flies.)

 

 

[gfweb]

20 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I used to before I had to stop my garden.  The variety is Mountain Magic.  How I miss them.  This time of year my counters were covered with little tomatoes and little fruit flies.  Not sure if you can find them in England.  (The seeds, not the fruit flies.)

 

 

 

Looks like a cherry tomato.  Sweet 100 is great...What's the benefit to MM?  Should I grow it?

Edited September 6, 2022 by gfweb (log)

[KennethT]

7 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

Looks like a cherry tomato.  Sweet 100 is great...What's the benefit to MM?  Should I grow it?

They're a little bigger than a cherry tomato.  The relatively new classification is "cocktail tomato".

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

Looks like a cherry tomato.  Sweet 100 is great...What's the benefit to MM?  Should I grow it?

 

Yes.

 

"Campari tomatoes can be produced from different varieties with similar characteristics, the standard being Mountain Magic."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campari_tomato

 

[rotuts]

when I was a Tomato Gardner

 

3 rows , 8 tomats / row

 

I had two rows that eventually, over 4 - 5 years 

 

became Early Girl.   the other row was a ' test bed '

 

of the small(er ) tomatoes , I found they had interesting flavor 

 

but SuperSweet 100  did not taste like a ' tomato ' , delicious as they are

 

in my experience , Gardner's Delight  ( is I recall the name correctly )

 

was a smaller tomato , but a bit bigger than a Cherry, and had a hint of orange to it

 

that smaller tomato tasted like a larger tomato.

 

but that was a while ago , and times change.

 

I liked Green Zebra  , but it was not very tomato-ey.

 

it had an interesting appearance 

[DianaB]

20 hours ago, Annie_H said:

Campari is a hybrid. It will not grow true from seed. As are all of their tomatoes. Much different process than heirloom open-pollinated varieties. I save seeds from all my heirlooms and will get the genetic match every year. Unless a rare bee cross happens.

A hybrid program might look more like a laboratory. They may have a 100 or more crosses before they get one that checks all the boxes for greenhouse growing. The parent tomatoes are a well kept secret. They look for a fast grower, prolific, stores well and travels well, and good flavor. Under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, may not do well outdoors in a garden. You can buy their seed and many hybrids but are always a bit more expensive. 

Some hybrids are created for the home garden like the success story SunGold. It does well in just about every climate around the globe---a climate that can grow tomatoes. Usually the first tomato to ripen and loaded with tiny bursts of summer flavor. Rarely make it out of the garden. Loved for a snack right off the plant. All my tomatoes are from shared/saved seed except for SunGold and a couple other hybrids. 

 

I should have guessed that Campari tomatoes are hybrid!  Sad this year that seeds for our favourite garden tomato, also a hybrid, have been discontinued.  The choice of replacement that I picked is nowhere near as good so scouring all sources in hope of one last packet of Ferline F1 seeds!

We grow Sungold every year, each plant is laden with gold globes of tomatoey sweetness that we will be picking until the frost arrives.  I had assumed that these were open-pollinated until recently, the seeds are available very easily and at much less cost than most hybrids.  Just hoping that these don’t disappear, as you say they ripen early and are often our first sign that summer is on the way.  

[DianaB]

18 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I used to before I had to stop my garden.  The variety is Mountain Magic.  How I miss them.  This time of year my counters were covered with little tomatoes and little fruit flies.  Not sure if you can find them in England.  (The seeds, not the fruit flies.)

 

 

Many thanks for identifying the variety; Mountain Magic seeds are indeed available in the U.K. so one to try for next year…., 

[Annie_H]

"The company Mastronardi Produce registered the term "Campari" as a United States trademark for its tomatoes in 2003; however, the trademark was challenged in 2006 based on claims that "Campari" is actually the general name for the tomato variety bred in the 1990s by the Dutch company Enza Zaden.^[6]"

 

^{I'd forgotten about that. At the time we avoided tomatoes out of season. I can wait content for local fresh corn. Seasonal fruits and veg. Artichokes when the prices come down. Tried TOV, tomatoes on the vine, a few times but bland and watery. Until we found Kumato. In the cardboard sleeves. I thought TOV was a gimmick. During lockdown I ordered a full tray from a local restaurant supply. Pic from May 2020. Very good. Another Canadian company, VillageFarms. I would not hesitate trying any of their varieties.} 

^{Last winter I could not find Kumato anywhere. Pre-covid Costco always had them.}